Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-17
WHAT IS WISDOM?
Discussion OF the Best Policy for. he
Texas Democracy to Pursue with
Reference to Prohibition.
ytIws Of Senator Reagan, of Elk Senator
nraxcy, and of State Senator w. II,
Pope of marshau
FROM JOHN H. REAGAN.
PALEsTINE, Ten, Aug. !.

PALEs1INE, Ten, Aug. Il, ISS7.
Editor Gazette, Fort Worth, Tex:
DEAR SIR-Your letter OF the 18th inst
has just reached me, in which you ask
NY views in brief as to what should be
the action Of the next Democratic state
in order to harmonic and
unity the Democrats Of Texas. My an
swer is that we should leave the question
as TO the liquor traffic where it
was left by the state Democratic
convention Of last year. Tie majority
against state prohibition in the form in
which il was submitted is so large that il
would be unwlse, for some time a. least,
to re-submit the question TO the people
AAd.it would be equally unwise for the
Eext state convention to aGopt resOiu-
Sion against prohibition, in view of the
large Democratic vote polled for il at the
recent election.
Inasmuch as the last state convention
trested the subject as nOn-partisan, and
es our Democratic Governor recommends
ed the submission Of the question to 8
vote otasfhe people, and as our Demo-
Feskfie Legislature voted to submit the
question to the people as non-partisan
question, st S. time when no other ques-
tion than the proposed amendments to
the constitution was to be voted Oh, end
as it was known before these things oc-
Cured tbat Democrats were divided in
opinion on this question, and as this action
YVES had to test the question Of prohibi-
| ton, and al the same time to preserve
the unity and harmony Of the Democratic
party, good faith and common fairness
requires that the support Of or opposition
to prohibition should not be made a test
of party fealty.
| 1t cannot be presumed that the state
| Democratic convention Of last year, end
Governor Ross, and the stste Legisla-
| ture acted GA this subject with
view to entrsp Democrats,
who believed in their good faith, so as tC
secure sn opportunity 10 read them out
of the Democratic party. or that they in
terded by their action to disrupt TIE
party. We must presume that they all
acted honestly and in good faith. Aud if
they did it IS plain that any Democrat VS.:
at liberty to vote on either side of this
question without affecting his status in
his party.
For myself, l expect to vote for al
| Democratic nominees hereafter, IS l have
heretofore done, when they ere fairl,
/ nominated, without asking the qUestio;
IS to whether they were for or aEains
prohibition, and could not honorably DE-
otherwise without proving false 20 tn,
seton Of the state Democratic convention
the Governor and the Legislature.
If the question is asked what l WoulC
do if a prohibition ticket or candidate
should be in the field, | answer, SIS hsv
repeatedly ans0 cred during the canvass
that l would vote for the Democrat
l would do this without in any wa
abating my desire to see the liquor traftlD
restricted and the saloons done ava
with. The principles Of the Democrat
party cover the whole field of Fedora
politics, and it has always seemed to m
their successful maintenance was neces
sary TO the preservation of our free Cor
stitutional system Of government, to tn
maintenance Of the rights Of tn
states and the liberties of tn
people, and I could not surrende
myEdevotion to this great body Of politi
cal principles to secure the success OF Cd
one measure, such as prohibition, how
ever benefcent.
l cannot doubt that the harmony al
good faith Of the Democracy Of Texa
will be preserved on some such basis a
that herein suggested. And THE GAzETTl
is entitled to the respect and commenda
ton of all good Democrats for its effort
Ito secure Democratic harmony. Very re
y spectfully, JOHN II. REAGAN.